Rock processing machine



Jan. 16, 1962 M. E. SMITH 3,016,656

ROCK PROCESSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 16, 1962 M E, SMWH 3,016,656

ROCK PROCESSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 T TOP/V5 VS Jan. 16, 1962 M. E. SMITH ROCK PROCESSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Shea?I 3 Filed Oct. 50, 1959 INVENTOR.` Al/@L E E S /14/ 7"/1/ Afro/@MEMS United States 3,016,656 ROCK PRGCESSING MACHINE Merle Edwin Smith, 1203 Burnham, Des Moines, Iowa Filed Get. Sil, 1959, Ser. No. 49,342 7 Claims. (Cl. 51-72) This invention relates to a novel portable rock processing machine, expecially but not exclusively for use by lapidarians.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efhcient, inexpensive, lightweight motor-driven machine of this kind, which is provided with quickly and easily interchangeable spindles for cutting, grinding, and polishing, and with wet coolant tank means therefor which includes splash guard means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a versatile machine of the character indicated above wherein the coolant containing tank or pan is formed to provide work-supports at each side of a wheel on a spindle, whereby different effects upon a stone being processed are obtainable merely by shifting the stone on the supports to engage diderent sides of a wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated above, which is simple in construction, is composed of a small number of simple and easily assembled parts, and which can be economically made in rugged, easily serviced, and well-finished forms at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

' FIGURE 1 is a front end elevation of a machine of the present invention; a saw spindle being in place there- 1n;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective View of the machine, with the coolant pan removed;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of the coolant pan, with the splash guard thereof opened;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a buthng wheel spindle;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 8-3 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a dual grinder Wheel spindle; and,

FIGURE l() is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 1tl-lll of FIGURE 9.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like land related numerals designate like and related parts throughout the several views, the illustrated machine, generally designated 12, comprises a frame .i4 composed of a longitudinally elongated horizontal base 16, preferably in the form of an inverted channel, having a web 1S and side anges 20. The frame 14 further comprises a generally U-shaped yoke 22, having a bight portion 24 and upstanding curved arms 26, having aligned, similar horizontal tirst and second bearing sleeves 28 and 3d, respectively, xed on their free upper ends. The yoke 22 is preferably tubular, and its bight portion 24 extends through, and is suitably fixed, as by weldings 32 to the base side flanges 2t), at the forward or front end 34 of the base 16.

Slidably mounted, and confined to forward and rearward belt-tightening adjustment on the base of the web 18 is the base 36 of an electric motor 3S, as by means of pairs of studs 40 extending through slots 42 in the motor base and Xed to the web 18, at the rear end of the base 16. The motor 38 has a horizontal shaft 44 which carries a drive belt pulley 46, at the right-hand or second side of the base 16. A V-belt 48 is trained over the pulley. For adjusting the motor 38 forwardly and rearwardly on the base 16 toward and away from the yoke 22, and maintaining an adjusted position, a horizontal adjusting screw 5t) is secured at its rear end in an upstanding lug 52 on the forward end of the motor base 36 and extends forwardly therefrom, with its forward end threaded into the rear end of a tubular shaft 54 which is supportably journalled through the vertical flange 56 of a transverse horizontal angle iron cross member 5S, which is fixed, as indicated at 6l) to the end 34 of the base 16, and rises from the frame base 16 at the forward end thereof. An enlarged thrust collar 62 on the shaft 54 bears against the front side of the flange 56, and a hand wheel 64 is provided on the forward end of the shaft 54 for rotating the shaft in opposite directions.

A sub-frame 66 rises from the frame base 16 and is spaced midway between the yoke arms 26 and their bearing sleeves 28 and 3B, and comprises a pair of similar sections 63, each having a perpendicular upright 76 fixed, as indicated at 72, to the outer side of a base ilange 2t?, at a point spaced rearwardly from the front end 34 of the base 16, a horizontal angle iron 74 extending forwardly from the upper end of the upright 70; and a forwardly inclining upright 76 extending downwardly and rearwardly from the forward end of the angle iron 74, and fixed, as indicated at 78 at its lower end, to the vertical flange 56 and the horizontal flange S6 of the angle iron cross member 58, at the outer sides of the frame base side flanges Ztl. rlibe angle irons 74 have vertical flanges 82 and horizontal flanges 84 extending laterally outwardly therefrom. Fixed to the vertical flanges 82 at their rear ends are upright forwardly directed hooks 86, and fixed to the flanges S2 at the forward ends thereof are upstanding pins 88, the pins 88 and the hooks 86 Abeing on the laterally outward sides of the vertical anges 82. The subframe 66 supports an assembly 90 which is a combined coolant tank or pan and work table.

The assembly 96 comprises a hat, vertically disposed, substantially three-quarter cylindrical tank 92, having sidewalls 94 and a peripheral wall 96, the sidewalls 94 being circularly notched at the center of the tank, as indicated at 93. The peripheral wall 96 and the sidewalls 94 terminate at one end in a normally horizontal, radial work table plate 16h, which has side portions 102 and idd, located at and extending laterally outwardly from the left and right-hand sides of the tank 92, and which constitute alternate work-supporting surfaces, as hereinafter set forth. The peripheral wall 96 terminates at its other end, as indicated at 106, on a level spaced above the work table plate Itltl, and has hinged thereon, as indicated at lil, the related end of the peripheral wall Il@ of a segmental splash guard 112, having segmental sidewalls H4, beyond which an end portion 11S of the peripheral wall reaches forwardly. In the closed position of the splash guard i12 related edges of its sidewalls rest upon the upper edges of the coolant tank sidewalls, las shown in FIGURE 3. When the guard 112 is swung upwardly and rearwardly to an out of the way position, as shown in FIGURE 5, free and unencumbered access to the interior of the tank 92 is aiforded.

The tank 92 is provided with horizontal, lateral flanges U6 on the outer sides of its sidewalls 94, to rest upon the upper edges of the vertical anges 82 of the subfrarne sections 68, and have stop egagernents, at their opposite ends, with the hooks S6 and the pins 88, as shown in FIGURE 3, with the hooks S5 engaged over the rear ends of the flanges H6, whereby the tank 92 is Patented Jian. 16, 1962A held in place on the subframe 66, but can be readily removed therefrom.

Slidably engaged in the left and right-hand bearing sleeves 28 and 30, respectively, of the yoke 22, are the relatively stationary cylindrical components 117 of lathetype .ball bearing centers 118 and 120, which have conical elements 122 on their inward ends, to supportably engage in the opposite ends of rock Working wheel carrying spindles, which are interchangeable.

A saw spindle 124 comprises a shaft 125 which as a smooth right-hand end portion 126 terminating a recessed end 128, on which is slidably circurnposed a V- groove driven pulley wheel 130, secured by a set-screw 132, over which the belt 48 is trained. The shaft 125 has a vthreaded left-hand end portion 134 which terminates in a recessed end 136, and is spaced from the righthand end portion 126 by an enlargement 13S` which serves as a stop shoulder. Removably mounted on the threaded end portion 134 are a circular disc diamond saw 140, backing discs 142 and 144 for the saw, with the disc 144 bearing against the shoulder 13S, a tubular spacer 146 having one end against the backing disc 142, and a nut 148 bearing against the other end of the spacer 146. The spindle 124 is mounted to the centers 118 and 120 by engaging the conical elements 122 in related recessed ends of the shaft 125, with the belt 48 trained over the pulley wheel 130.

The stationary component 1l17 of the right hand center 120 is secured in a selected relatively permanent position in the right hand bearing sleeve 311i by means of a set-screw 150, and the component 117 of the left-hand center 118 is secured in a relatively temporary position by a set-screw 152, in the left-hand bearing sleeve 28. The component 117 of the left-hand center 118 differs from that its opposite number, by having a rigid longitudinal arm 154 extending outwardly therefrom and beyond the bearing ltube 23. The arm 154- has pivoted on its' outer end, as indicated at 156, the upper ends of spaced Vertical legs 158 of a U-shaped lever 16?. The legs 158 are pivoted intermediate their ends, as indicated at 162, on a lateral lug 164 which extends laterally outwardly from the left-hand arm 26 of the yoke 22. An expanding helical spring 166 is mounted on the yoke arm below the lug 164 and is compressed between the yoke arm and the lower end of the lever 160, so that the center 118 is biased inwardly toward the right-hand center 120, so as to hold the conical elements 122 in the recessed ends of the spindle 124. With this arrangement, exchange of a spindle is accomplished simply by backing out the set-screw on the left-hand bearing sleeve and pushing the left-hand center 118, against the resistance of the spring 166, until the right-hand end of the spindle 124 comes off the conical element 122 of the right-hand center 1Z0, whereby the left-hand end of the spindle 124 is free to disengage from the conical element 122 ofthe left-hand center 118. installation of a spindle simply involves a reversal of these operations.

For rock grinding operations, a grinding spindle 168, shown in FIGURES 9 and l0, is provided which has a spindle 124, similar to the saw spindle the place of the saw 140 being taken by a dual grinding wheel assembly 170, which comprises a pair of grinding wheels 172, having backing discs 174 and 176, separated by a spacer 178, the assembly being held in place against the shoulder 1-38 by a sleeve 146 and a nut 148. The provision of two grinding wheels 170 affords, at option, two simultaneous grinding surfaces, or two selectively usable grinding surfaces of different characteristics,

For rock polishing or bufling operations, a polishing spindle 180, shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, is provided, which differs from the other above-described spindles,` only in the substitution for their wheels, of a bulier wheel 182, which comprises a flexible buffer cylinder 1S4 which is compressed between two rigid backing discs 186 and 188.

1t is to beV noted, in conjunction with the above described rock-Working spindles and their wheels, that the lower parts of the wheels run in suitable coolant liquid 1% present in the coolant tank, and that the upper parts of the wheels are exposed above the tank 92 and above the work table 19t), so that rocks resting upon the table can be shifted thereon and applied to the edges of the wheels or applied to the sides of the wheels, and applied to the wheels in positions in between these positions, without losing the support for the rocks provided by the table. With the splash guard 112 in its depressed', closed position, there is no splash of coolant liquid, which would otherwise interfere with the work and wet the operator or parts of the machine around the wheels.

While there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within `the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A rock processing machine comprising an elongated horizontal base having front and rear ends, an upstanding yoke fixed on the base at alocation near said front end, said yoke having laterally spaced arms, aligned bearing sleeves fixed on the upper ends of said arms, conical elements iournaled in said sleeves, a spindle comprising a shaft having recessed ends engaged on said conical elements and carrying a fixed driven wheel, lrock working wheel means secured on said shaft between the yoke arms, and motor means mounted on the base at the rear end of the base and operatively connected to said driven wheel.

2. A rock processing machine comprising an elongated horizontal base having front and rear ends, an upstanding yoke fixed on the base at a location near said front end, said yoke having laterally spaced arms, aligned bearing sleeves fixed on the upper ends of said arms, conical elements journaled in said sleeves, a spindle comprising a shaft having recessed ends engaged on said conical elements and carrying a fixed driven wheel, rock working wheel means secured on said shaft between the yoke arms, and motor means mounted on the base at the rear end of the base and operatively connected to said driven wheel, said driven wheel being a pulley wheel, a beltV trained over the pulley wheel, said motor means having a drive pulley over which the belt is trained, means mounting the motor means on the base for movement toward and away from the yoke, and adjusting means mounted on the base and extending between the motor means and a part on the base at the forward end of the base for moving the motor means for tightening and loosening the belt.

3. A rock processing machine comprising an elongated horizontal base having front and rear ends, an upstanding yoke fixed on the base at a location near said front end, said yoke having laterally spaced arms, aligned bearing sleeves fixed on the upper ends of said arms, conical elements ,iournaled in said sleeves, a spindle comprising a shaft having recessed ends engaged on said conical elements and carrying a fixed driven wheel, rock working wheel means secured on said shaft, between the yoke arms, and motor means mounted on the base at the rear end of the base and operatively connected to said driven wheel, a subframe fixed on and rising from the base beneath said rock working wheel means, and a liquid coolant tank removably mounted on the subfrarne and receiving the lower part of the wheel means, said tank having a horizontal work table disposed radially relative to the wheel means.

4. A rock processing machine comprising an elongated horizontal base having front and rear ends, an upstanding yoke fixed on the base at a location near said front end, said yoke having laterally spaced arms, aligned bearing sleeves fixed on the upper ends of said arms, conical elements journaled in said sleeves, a spindle comprising a shaft having recessed ends engaged on said conical elements and carrying a fixed driven wheel, rock working wheel means secured on said shaft between the yoke arms, and motor means mounted on the base at the rear end of the base and operatively connected to said driven wheel, a subframe fixed on and rising from the base beneath said rock working wheel means, and a liquid coolant tank removably mounted on the subframe and receiving the lower part of the wheel means and a splash guard hinged on said tank and overlying the wheel means.

5. A rock processing machine comprising a horizontal base having front and rear ends, an upstanding yoke fixed on the base and having laterally spaced arms, aligned bearing sleeves fixed on the upper ends of the arms, lathe centers having components engaged in the sleeves, said centers having conical elements journaled on the inward ends, a spindle comprising a shaft having recessed ends engaged on said conical elements and carrying a fixed driven wheel, rock working wheel means secured 0n the shaft, and motor means mounted on the base at the rear end of the base and operatively connected to the driven wheel, one of said lathe centers being a stationary center and the other a movable center relative to the bearing sleeves and the spindle shaft, means on the sleeves for holding the components of the centers independently in determined positions in the sleeves, and retractible spring-pressed lever means mounted on one yoke arm and connected to the movable center for urging the movable center toward the stationary center when the holding means of the movable center is released.

6. A rock processing machine comprising an elongated horizontal base having front and rear ends, an upstanding yoke fixed on the base at a location near said front end, said yoke having laterally spaced arms, aligned bearing sleeves fixed on the upper ends of said arms, conical elements journaled on said sleeves, a spindle comprising a shaft having recessed ends engaged on said conical elements and carrying a fixed driven wheel, rock working wheel means secured on said shaft between the yoke arms, and motor means mounted on the base at the rear end of the base and operatively connected to said driven wheel, said shaft comprising a smooth end portion on which said driven wheel is mounted, an enlarged shoulder intermediate the ends of the shaft, and a threaded end portion, said wheel means comprising a wheel body removably circumposed on said threaded portion and having backing discs engaged with opposite sides thereof with one disc engaged with the shoulder, a tubular spacer on the threaded end portion and engaged with the other disc, and a nut threaded on the threaded end portion and engaged with the outer end of the spacer.

7. A rock processing machine comprising an elongated horizontal base having front and rear ends, an upstanding yoke xed on the base at a location near said front end, said yoke having laterally spaced arms, aligned bearing sleeves ixed on the upper ends of said arms, conical elements journaled in said sleeves, a spindle comprising a shaft having recessed ends engaged on said conical elements and carrying a lixed driven wheel, rock working wheel means secured on said shaft between the yoke arms, and motor means mounted on the base at the rear end of the base and operatively connected to said driven wheel, said shaft comprising a smooth end portion on which said driven wheel is mounted, an enlarged shoulder intermediate the ends of the shaft, and a threaded end portion, said wheel means comprising a wheel body removably circumposed on said threaded portion and having backing discs engaged with opposite sides thereof with one disc engaged with the shoulder, a tubular spacer on the threaded end portion and engaged with the other disc, and a nut threaded on the threaded end portion and engaged with the outer end of the spacer, said working wheel body consisting of a disc saw.

References Cited in the rile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 310,054 Hefft Dec, 30, 1884 488,218 Parpart Dec. 20, 1892 570,110 Terry Oct. 27, 1896 667,960 Taber Feb. 12, 1901 1,957,057 Baniger May 1, 1934 2,003,495 Ritz June 4, 1935 2,701,978 Lee Feb. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,871 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1908 

